New blood transfusion virus discovered

Researchers have found a new virus transmitted by blood transfusions. (Photo courtesy of Creative Commons)

Though scientists are telling the public not to freak, a new virus that looks a bit like hepatitis C can be transmitted by blood transfusions and other blood-based products has been discovered, according to a story moving on the NBC News site.

It looks a little like the hepatitis C virus that can cause permanent liver damage, and a little like the human pegivirus, which appears to be harmless, the team reports in the journal mBio.

“We have been able to find a new virus. It’s clearly transmitted as a result of human (blood) transfusion,” said infectious disease expert Dr. Ian Lipkin, who oversaw the study team at Columbia University, told NBC.

Amit Kapoor, an assistant professor at Columbia University who led the study, said there is no need to panic – yet.

“We really don’t know if there is ongoing transmission of this virus,” she said. “I’m not really worried about this particular virus. This is not SARS. This is not MERS. This is not HIV.”

Such blood-borne viruses once were quite concerning to hemophiliacs, who contracted HIV and other infections. Now the disorder is often treated with genetically engineered products, which do not carry infectious agents.